SinistrosePhosphate on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/sinistrosephosphate/art/Keikoku-no-katana-676767685SinistrosePhosphate

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Keikoku no katana

Published:
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Description

A.K.A. "傾国の刀" (The sword that can tempt the fall of a nation.)

The sword in question actually exists. It goes by a number of names, the most common is Souza Samonji. It had been wielded by the three Unifiers of Japan throughout its long existence (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.) This sword is also known as "The Symbol of Conquerors" for just that reason. To wield it meant to have the world in your hands.

So... where does the character come in?
Well, there's a game out there that followed a very profitable formula of turning inanimate objects into humans, then having these people do things for you. In this specific game, historical swords were turned into men who will fight under your command against these creatures who want to change history. They travel through time to disrupt important events in history and your goal is to stop them. This character is the human form of the sword in the game.

I don't play the game. But I am a sucker for "swords", "history", "fighting" and "time travel." Basically, the game's concept had me at "Touken Ranbu" ^^; ("刀剣乱舞" is the name of the game.) I've got a feeling this is my entry point into the world of the past... or was it the future?

……宗三左文字と言います。貴方も、天下人の象徴を侍らせたいのですか……?

Artist's Note
1. Pattern credit: Souza Samonji is a character from the online and mobile game Touken Ranbu. Co-owned by DMM Games and Nitro-Plus. 2015-2017. More information here: touken-ranbu.wikia.com/wiki/To…
2. More about the character himself: touken-ranbu.wikia.com/wiki/So…
3. Equipment: Cutting board, artisan cutting blade (#11)
4. Paper: Base: Recollections Card Stock by Michael's Inc. (65lbs/176gsm). 
Inset: 
Chiyogami origami paper, approx 32lbs (120gsm).
5. Size:  5.7" by 4.1" (14.5cm x 10.5cm) 
6. Time: about 6 hours.
Image size
3832x1622px 2.08 MB
Make
Google
Model
Pixel XL
Shutter Speed
1/120 second
Aperture
F/2.0
Focal Length
5 mm
ISO Speed
227
Date Taken
Apr 25, 2017 10:15:54 AM -04:00
© 2017 - 2024 SinistrosePhosphate
Comments61
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Gareque's avatar
Hi there, I'm here from ProjectComment

Firstly, I'd just like to say that this piece is done exceptionally well and fits in with the style I have seen many Japanese traditional pieces done in.

I figure I'll just jump straight to it:

Great Parts:
- The line art.  I think it's done beautifully and together with the minimal colour, I think it highlights is fantastically.  The lines are crisp, clear and concise and don't seem to waver in any place.  In all honesty, it's the kind of line art I aspire towards, so kudo's to you for that!

- Its appearance.  It looks simplistic at a glance, but deceptively so.  When you actually take a closer look at it, there seems to be a huge amount of detail.

- The history.  Not directly related to the artwork, but it does improve it overall.  Learning the history of something, or the reason why the piece has been created, adds a level of personality to it that it otherwise simply wouldn't have.  Never even something I had considered before!

Improvements:

Honestly, I can't really think of anything that outright requires improvement.  Perhaps the face could use a little more detail, but that would risk spoiling the simplicity in the piece.  Put simply, I would be tempted to buy something like this if I saw it in town, so I really can't see anything to fault myself.

I thought this was done digitally at first and it was only after reading the note afterwards that I realised, so congratulations on a great piece and keep it up!